People love to add mint to their foods and beverages due to its sweet smell and cooling flavor. This great herb is very versatile and is used for many reasons in the culinary industry.

However, did you know that mint is also very healthy? Mint has a high antioxidant capacity which helps it alleviate health ailments. Also referred to as mentha, mint is a group of about 20 perennial plant species, with the most well-known varieties being peppermint and spearmint. Mint originated n Asia and the Mediterranean and has been valued for centuries not its elegant aroma, and its medicinal benefits. There are a lot of varieties of mint, including peppermint, catnip, spearmint, bergamot, and lemon balm.

Most mint plants can be distinguished by the appearance of their leaves, stems, and flowers, which are either purple, white, or pink. If you rub a leaf between your fingers, you will be able to notice the distinct and well-known minty smell of mint.

Mint Leaves and Health Benefits

Mint's high antioxidant content is one of its characteristics that make mint beneficial for one's health. Mint contains vitamins A, B2 and C, and minerals like zinc, calcium, magnesium, and copper.

Menthol, which is also in mint, has analgesic, which acts as a local anesthetic and can help heal irritations. Mint includes nutrients and has health-promoting properties that make it a beneficial herb. Some potential benefits that you can get from using mint leaves include:

Alleviate allergy symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory properties

Eases digestive problems because of its ability to increase bile secretion and encourages bile flow, which leads to easier and quicker digestion

Helps relieve headaches and nausea

Helps relieve congestion and some respiratory disorders by soothing the nose, throat, and other parts of the respiratory system

Provides pain relief and helps reduce fatigue

If mint is used topically, it can be used for many benefits due to its calming and cooling properties. It can help relieve insect bites, sunburn, rashes, and other skin ailments. Additionally, it can be used as an immediate breath freshener.

It is important to note that certain groups of people should be cautious when using mint. For example, mint can exacerbate the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, so it should be avoided in these circumstances. People who have had gallstones may also want to be cautious to not use this herb for similar reasons.

Uses for Mint

Mint has a lot of uses. For example, ancient Greeks used it to clean their tables and even added it to their baths. Also, the Romans believed that mint's scent can keep people happy and that eating it can boost intelligence.

Today, mint is used in many products including toothpaste, soothing balms, inhalers, chewing gum, and breath fresheners. There are also a lot of uses for plain mint leaves, including:

Flea and tick repellent

Foot scrub

Room freshener

Floor cleaner

Mint tea

Due to its many uses, it is a great idea to plant your own mint at home. To do this, plant several plants about two feet apart from each other because they tend to grow. Most mint plants will grow up to 2 feet tall and do not require a lot of care to thrive. However, it is important to note that mint benefits from pruning and picking because the plant usually produces horizontal runners that could take over your garden.

If you don't have a backyard, you can grow mint inside. Plant some mint in containers that have adequate drainage and put them in an area with indirect sunlight. Because mint thrives in moist soil, be sure to water your plant regularly. Once you have a healthy mint plant, you can enjoy all of its benefits.

Cooking With Mint

Mint works great in appetizers, main courses, and dessert. You can even use it in a salad to add a fresh taste. People often like to add mint to their water to make it more refreshing to drink. It is just important to remember that different varieties of mint taste a bit different, so you want to make sure you are using the one that you intend to use.

To choose the best mint variety for your dishes, consider peppermint's strong flavor that works well in cooked dishes and desserts or drinks that you want to have a menthol flavor. Alternatively, spearmint has a milder and sweeter taste, which is great for making mint tea, creating sauces, and even making jellies. Orange mint, on the other hand, works well when it is used with fruits such as nectarines, peaches, apricots, and plums.

If you can't plant mint at home, you can find it at a farmer's market or your local grocery store. Just make sure that you buy mint that looks healthy and does not appear to be damaged.

How to Store Fresh Mint

If you do not store your mint properly, it can wilt and lose its flavor. You should treat mint like a flower when storing it by putting it into a container with water.

Once you take off the rubber bands that are holding your mint together, trim stems' ends by cutting off the leaves, allowing some space at the ends. Put the mint stems in a tall container and add water. Cover your plant loosely with plastic and store it in the refrigerator, making sure to change the water every other day.

You can also wrap your mint with a damp paper towel and put it in a plastic bag. However, it is important to be sure that the mint leaves are not crushed and the mint is able to stay together. Store this in your fridge and it will stay fresh for several weeks.

Mint smells sweet, is refreshing, and invigorating. It has several different varieties and it has gained a great reputation in the cooking world due to its fragrance and flavor. Its health issues are also widespread, making mint a very good thing to keep around the house.

As our society becomes more health-conscious, there has been an increased focus on the importance of exercise. Many people exercise to control weight and get in better physical condition to become more healthy or physically attractive, but exercise and stress management are also closely linked. Exercise can be an extremely ...Read More

It's summertime and you head outside to exercise, before your session is over, your body feels like it is on fire from the heat. It's not your imagination. Fifteen minutes into your run and your body temperature could be as high as 5° F above normal.

If you are an active exerciser, you know that having the mental strength to keep your motivation up can sometimes be a challenge. You may be in great physical shape, but if your mind becomes weak, your training will likely suffer. Read More

While you may finish a workout thinking that you just did an awesome job, what if you wake up the next day and you are sore? If you use the improper form when strength training, you may use the wrong muscles and end up with injuries. Read More

Grass-fed meat has many health benefits that you may have overlooked. However, it is important to be aware of these benefits so you can be an informed consumer when shopping for meat. According to studies, grass-fed beef has significantly more omega-3 fatty acids and healthy conjugated linoleic acid (otherwise known ... Read More

People have no shortage of stress these days. Between demanding jobs, relationships, major life changes, and everyday conflicts, people's stress hormones end up being activated for long periods of time. These hormones used to prepare people during short-term dangers such as getting away from predators, but now these days, they ... Read More

We all know that you need calcium for strong bones, and you are also probably aware that you need potassium to keep your muscles healthy. But are you aware that you need magnesium for your heart health? Many people are deficient in magnesium, but it is a mineral that we ... Read More

It is easy to stay in a healthy routine when you are home. You keep to your regular gym schedule, make healthy meals at home, and you know what local places will provide you with healthy options. This consistency of eating healthy and working out probably has you feeling pretty ... Read More

Talking to other people who you hardly know can be difficult. You don't want to bore them with things they are not interested in, but at the same time, you don't want to leave a lot of time for awkward silences. So how do you find that middle ground so ... Read More

As our society becomes more health-conscious, there has been an increased focus on the importance of exercise. Many people exercise to control weight and get in better physical condition to become more healthy or physically attractive, but exercise and stress management are also closely linked. Exercise can be an extremely effective stress reliever for several reasons:

It's summertime and you head outside to exercise, before your session is over, your body feels like it is on fire from the heat. It's not your imagination. Fifteen minutes into your run and your body temperature could be as high as 5° F above normal.

Grass-fed meat has many health benefits that you may have overlooked. However, it is important to be aware of these benefits so you can be an informed consumer when shopping for meat. According to studies, grass-fed beef has significantly more omega-3 fatty acids and healthy conjugated linoleic acid (otherwise known ... Read More